When Orlando Health bought the undeveloped land around its free-standing emergency room across from the Tupperware SunRail station in 2019, it was a given the company would eventually expand the health care offerings to include an acute care hospital.
Now those plans are moving closer to reality. Last week, the company filed construction plans for a 480,782-square-foot hospital with an eight-story patient tower connected to the existing facility, to be built in two phases.
The plans, filed with Osceola County and the South Florida Water Management District, call for a 146-bed acute care hospital with 12,164 square feet of office space and a separate building housing a central energy plant. There will be more than 1,100 parking spaces to serve the new hospital, which is being constructed on the existing parking lot.
This would be the company’s second acute care hospital in Osceola County, following the acquisition of St. Cloud Medical Center. Orlando Health also operates an ER and medical pavilion at Reunion Village and has entitlements for a 240-bed hospital.
Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Maria Garza confirmed the plans to GrowthSpotter. “We are dedicated to advancing the compassionate, high-quality healthcare our team members provide in the communities we are grateful to serve. We look forward to sharing more information as plans progress,” she said.
The facility has been a long time coming.
Orlando Health opened its three-story 60,000-square-foot emergency room and medical pavilion in 2018. It includes more than 15 treatment rooms, an imaging department, ambulance bays and a helipad, along with parking and supporting infrastructure.
In 2019, Orlando Health locked down the 6.3 acres adjacent to its Tupperware campus facilities for $5.2 million. In 2024, OH bought another 2.6 acres across the street for $2.5 million to accommodate future medical offices but has not filed any plans for those parcels.
The new hospital is welcome news for Orlando-based Kimaya Real Estate, which has approved permits to build a dual-branded Marriott hotel with a Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites just south of the recently completed Parkway Crossings apartment community across the street. Sid Gautam, director of acquisitions and development, said the 142-room hotel would complement the new hospital, but the site could also be developed with medical offices.
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“The market has been slow on the lending side for hotels, but we’re still hoping to get it off the ground,” he said. “The whole corridor is blowing up.”
Earlier this year, the company that owns the former Tupperware World Headquarters campus sought guidance from county planning officials for a plan to raze the campus and replace it with a 60-acre industrial park. While the county welcomed the concept, which would bring more commercial uses to the Osecola Corporate Center Planned Development, the property hasn’t traded, and no permits have been filed.
O’Connor Capital Partners bought the bulk of the Tupperware property back in 2020 for $87 million. Development Director Peter Bergner told GrowthSpotter he’s excited to see the hospital plans move forward. “It’s awesome,” he said. “I’ve waited seven years. We always knew they were going to expand the hospital, but I still have land to sell.”
Bergner said Miami-based Pinnacle is under contract for a 2.15-acre lot at the southeast corner of Orange Avenue and Tupperware Boulevard, a block from the SunRail station. O’Connor is still marketing 17 acres in the Transit Oriented District.
Most of the activity in the immediate area is taking place north of the county line, in Orange County’s Tupperware Heights. There, Tesla is planning a new dealership, and two apartment developers are in permitting for nearly 900 dwelling units.
Flournoy Development Group plans to build a 350-unit apartment community at the northwest corner of Mary Louis Lane and S. Orange Avenue. Across the street, Dominium plans to develop a 528-unit affordable multifamily complex east of Orange Avenue. The entire development would be affordable for residents earning 60% of the local area median income (AMI).
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at [email protected] or (407) 420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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